Now, we bring you The Closer... it just so happens the Yankees have the best one in baseball. Since 1997 the New
York Yankees have had an undisputed leg up not only on the AL East, but on the
rest of Major League Baseball in who comes into a game to close it out.

Mariano Rivera is the greatest reliever who ever played the
game of baseball, and he is a Yankee. When “Enter Sandman”
echoes throughout The House that Jeter Built, there is no doubt as to what the
near future holds for Yankees opponents.Simply put, the game is over.

Until last season’s mishap while shagging fly balls on the
warning track before an April game against Kansas City, Mariano Rivera had 15
consecutive seasons of 28 or more saves as the Yankees closer.During that span, he saved less than 30 games
once, and his ERA was a sparkling 2.02.

Even more impressive are Rivera’s post season
statistics.They read:96 games, 42 saves and an eye-popping 0.70
ERA in 141 innings pitched. There is nobody better.

Now the certain first-ballot Hall of Famer is coming off a
major injury for the first time in his career, and by all accounts he has been
up to the challenge.As Erik Boland
reported in Newsday HERE, Rivera has stunned even teammates with his recovery,
and has accelerated his spring schedule.He is claiming that everything feels good and is hungry for competition.

That is great news if you are a Yankees fan. There is no
reason to doubt that Mariano Rivera at age 43 will be any different than he has
been for the better part of the last two decades.His consistent, high-level of production on
the mound is the rudder that guides the Yankees ship.

Look for a return to 40-plus saves and an ERA less than 2.00
for the Yankee great. That’s my prediction.

Here is how the rest of the AL East stacks up at closer:

Toronto Blue Jays:Casey Janssen posted 22 saves in 25 attempts for the Blue Jays in
2012.His ERA was 2.54 – not impressive
for a closer – but his WHIP was a sparkling 0.86.The 31 year-old should get more save opportunities
with Toronto’s re-vamped lineup.

Baltimore Orioles: 29 year-old Jim Johnson had a MLB leading
51 saves in 54 opportunities last season with the Orioles.Even though he isn’t the typical strikeout
pitcher that other closers are (he had 41 strikeouts in 68.2 innings pitched),
he held opposing batters to a .220 average and posted a 1.02 WHIP.

Tampa Bay Rays:The
Rays’ Fernando Rodney was second in MLB in saves last season with 48 in 50
attempts.He held opponents to a .167
batting average and posted a microscopic 0.78 WHIP and incredible 0.60
ERA.In addition, he struck out 76 in
74.2 innings pitched and yielded just two home runs all season.The 36 year-old will again cover the backside
of what is the best pitching staff in the AL East.

Boston Red Sox: Joel Hanrahan was an intimidating presence
for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the past two seasons in accumulating 76 saves
in 84 save opportunites for the Bucs.He
held opposing batters to a .187 average and struck out 67 in 59.2 innings last
year.However, his ERA of 2.72 ranked
him 142nd in relievers and he’ll need to improve upon that to live up to the
billing with his new team.

Here’s how I think it breaks down:

Yankees: There is no
doubt that Mo’ is back and the Yankees are a better team because of it.

Tampa Bay: The Rays
Fernando Rodney will continue to sparkle in the closers role.

Baltimore: Jim Johnson finds ways to get batters out when
he needs to and this improving team will keep getting him more save
opportunities.

Toronto: Casey Janssen should see more save opportunities
thanks to a new look to the Blue Jays lineup and pitching staff.The question will be whether or not the
relievers before him can hold onto the lead.

Boston: How will Hanrahan’s 2.72 ERA translate to the
American League?His jump in ERA and
walks from 2011 to 2012 is worrisome.